Secrets in the Shadows
by tsurara619
Summary: Summary: All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection of the Human and Shadow realms. One archeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose. Disclaimer: I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.
1. Prologue

**Secrets in the Shadows**

**Summary:** All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection of the Human and Shadow realms. One archeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.

**A/N:** Heavily inspired by "The Tenth Tribe" and "Queen of all Oni". I totally ripped off Inuyasha with the well thing but at least they function way differently. Sorry about that. Feel free to criticize and point out errors. Suggestions are appreciated too. I'm new at this.

**Prologue**

"Father, why!?" a young girl asked. Her voice was laced with disbelief. She was being betrayed by the only person she cared about. The one she served with blind loyalty and loved as though he were kin. The one she considered her father.

"The humans know nothing about you Kumori. It's better for it to stay that way. I am renouncing you. You are no longer my general nor child. Goodbye." said the red Oni with the tone of finality as he sealed the well closed.

"No! Please! What did I do wrong? Please forgive me if I have committed a mistake. I'll do better! I'll make you proud. Don't leave me alone! Master! Please! Don't leave! Father! Father!"

The red Oni remained cold and uncaring despite the child's relentless pleading and heartbreaking sobs. She never committed a mistake nor had she committed any offence. He merely wanted her out of the picture. She was his greatest shame and secret. Not even his generals knew of her. Only Ikazuki did.

Much of his conquest's successes were due of her efforts - hers and the Shadow khan's. She was his oldest and most loyal servant but she was not Oni. It was a stain on his record.

She used to be human like all the other Dark Ones. During her early years under him, she was touched by the shadows. She fell into the well by accident and found herself in the shadow realm with newfound powers.

It was then at that moment that everything began. The red Oni learned of the secrets of the Shadow realm. He gained control over the shadow khan. He became more powerful than ever. But, so did she.

She was a true Dark One. The last of them. They both wiped out the others. She did it under his orders. He did it to get rid of the competition. They were against him. They were fools. They were weak unlike his female general. They refused to kill or even use their power to rule over the humans.

As an Oni, he couldn't truly be one of them but he did learn of their secrets. He held their power.

The red Oni grew to fear the child's power. She was a true sentient Shadow khan. She understood the secrets far better than him. Her connection to the realm was much more powerful compared to his. He disliked being second. He wanted what she had. Perfect control over Shadow khan. Sole ownership of the power. Being at the top.

It was ironic how the very thing that gave her power was what her dear father used to keep her sealed away.

The well was powerful enough to keep her locked away for all eternity. It may weaken every few years when the blasted beasts come out of the shadow realm to _play_ but she wouldn't be able to escape. Only he, or another sentient shadow khan, can remove the seal. No one can save her.

The island itself kept people away. It was deemed to be an island of Yokai. It kept the pesky humans away but the red Oni needed to make sure. The island was then fortified with large and deadly rocks creating numerous rapids and whirlpools. It was blanketed by harsh winds and unpredictable weather.

The island itself was calm, serene, and untouched by the extremities protecting it. No one will ever know that though. No one will ever set foot on that island. Not even magic can break forces of nature. At least, the red Oni hoped that. He wouldn't want to face Kumori's anger. Yes, she was like a daughter to him but she was too dangerous to keep around. He didn't want her getting any ideas.

His decision to be rid of his tenth and most efficient general proved fatal. He lost his means of preventing the humans from bringing about his downfall. Japanese chi magic had always been a threat. And thus, the reign of Tarakudo, Lord of all Oni, ended.


	2. Chapter 1 - The Dark Ones

**Secrets in the Shadows**

**Summary:** All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection for the Human and Shadow realms. One archeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.

**A/N:** Heavily inspired by "The Tenth Tribe"and "Queen of all Oni". Feel free to criticize and point out errors. Suggestions are appreciated too. I'm a little new at this.

**Chapter 1** \- The Dark Ones

Jade Chan was known for many things but not for her patience. All her excitement and relief left her as soon as she saw the huge heap of nothing they worked hard to get to.

During the first hour, she ranted about all their wasted efforts and her personal bitterness and disappointment with the place. At the next hour, she screamed and complained about the heat, the food, the - everything actually. After that, she tried to get her uncle to just stop bouncing all over the place like a monkey on extreme sugar rush. And then finally, she gave up and sat on a rock while glaring holes at her uncle's back in contempt.

He could feel her waves of anger but he didn't do anything about it. He was too preoccupied with amazement. He and his colleagues were overjoyed when they were given the chance to excavate the mysterious island.

Uncle always said that magic must defeat magic. It seems nature must defeat nature too.

It was impossible to enter until last week. A strong earthquake destroyed the terrifying pointy rocks at the northwest of the island. Those things were large enough to impale ships the size of the Oceanic.

The storm and system malfunctions disheartened everyone else but Jackie and Jade made it through by rowing like Spartans while reciting the mantra, Bad Day! Bad Day! Bad Day!, over and over again in a lifeboat.

It wasn't like they had a choice. They had no idea which direction they were rowing and the storm kept raging at them. At least they didn't end up in a whirlpool.

"Jackie, you've been circling that thing for hours. You should be doing something productive like figuring out a way out of this deadbeat island before we...I don't know...starve to death."

Jade was on her last legs. She was not eating anything from this place. It was just so...weird. The plants were all murky. They were either black, grey, a dark bluish or reddish color. The soil and rocks were all unusually dark in color too - bordering purple and blue.

She kept feeling uneasy. At the back of her mind, she the place was not to be trifled with. She felt suffocated and belittled just by being there. She couldn't place it but she knew there was something weird with the island. Something familiar.

"I know, but aren't you curious about this place."

Jade gritted her teeth at that. Rather than lightening her sour mood, Jackie got her to deepen her scowl. Sure she was very curious but her gut kept twisting. It kept screaming at her to get the heck out of there. If anything, getting away would stop the incessant static noises she kept hearing in her head.

He wasn't really worried. He knew that someone must be looking for them.

It was odd. Because Jade was being a pessimist, Jackie had become the optimist. It was usually the other way around but balance always finds a way.

"This well is thousands of years old. This island is obviously inaccessible and nearly impossible to live in. Why do you think they built one here?"

'It might be from the late Yayoi or the early Kofun period.' thought Jackie as he examined the simple style of construction.

"Ch! I don't care about that stupid well. I wanted to see the ghost girl and the demon snakes. That thing is not a pleasing trade-off."

Jackie raised an eyebrow at his sour niece's behavior. It was only luck that they both had their backpacks with them when the storm hit. Jade was so excited about the island that she literally shoved the heavy bag to him while narrating to him what she thought they would see.

She's been a stiff ever since they got there. Her attitude turned a complete 180.

_Maybe she's hungry._

"Patience, and its yokai, Japanese demon. There's a difference." Jade just continued glaring.

"Here, touch the well. Maybe it will cool you off." Jackie chuckled at his lame pun.

Jade had no idea why he was laughing at such a situation but she complied anyway. She begrudgingly left the large purplish rock she had been sitting on for a while. She growled and muttered angrily on the way. She slammed her hand on the black wooden cover of the well to show her uncle that she was pissed off. To her surprise, the wood was stone hard and...ice cold.

"How's it doing that?" she whispered in disbelief and shock.

"I don't know. I was looking for inscriptions but there's nothing. It's just plain black wood." said Jackie.

"Magic." Jade whispered again. Her face grew pallid.

"I thought so too. The trees aren't cold like the well but they're clearly the same material..." Jackie started to babble about his theories and failed to notice the panic in his niece.

She kept her hand on the cold surface. She was frozen stiff. The well was letting her feel things. She could feel anguish, sadness, despair, and hopelessness.

The static cleared for her. She could hear soft quiet sobs mixed with guttural animal-like sounds and random hisses.

That wasn't what kept her glued there like a statue though. It was the sensation - the familiar dry cold that numbed her body - the familiar burst of strength and presence of power. It was all too familiar and it frightened her. She was scared because she didn't want to remember this sensation. She didn't want turn into...that again.

No wonder she got so cranky. The island itself was actively feeding her the very thing she has in most of her nightmares. Not even Shendu could compare to this in the freak-o-meter.

The light disappeared. It was night time now. The moon was starting to rise. If Jackie wasn't looking at the beautiful myriad of stars and the thin crescent moon in the night sky as he babbled, he would have noticed that his niece turned blue.

She whimpered when she felt the wood go warm. it was a good warmth. It felt loving and caring. Like family kind of warmth. The wood was beating like a heartbeat. The negative feelings flooding into her changed into happiness, relief, and hope. When the well started to glow, Jade finally regained her senses and let go.

"Uh...Jackie." she tugged her uncle's sleeve to try and let him know of the...problem.

"Jade you should look at the stars! They're..." Jackie's smile was wiped from his face when he saw his blue skinned niece. Her red eyes looked at him fearfully.

"Jade you're blue!" he yelled in shock. Jade looked confused but realized what he meant when she saw her hands. She began to panic internally while Jackie stared at the well that was spewing black mist as it glowed rhythmically like a heartbeat.

_"Tono-sama? Chichiue?"_ (1)a female voice called out from inside the well.

She sounded happy but Jade and Jackie were scared out of their wits.

The wood covering that sealed the well shattered to pieces. Serpents of all sizes came flying out of the well. They looked oddly familiar to the group. Other creatures vaguely similar to other known animals came scurrying out into the sky as well. They flew around as though they were dancing...celebrating.

Above the well hovered a young girl wearing a black kimono with elbow length sleeves, black pants and tabi boots. She wore arm guards and shin guards. Around her neck was a black scarf that trailed around like her long and wild black hair seemingly floating in water. She had striking red irises, blue skin, and vampire-like teeth.

Despite the girl's appearance screaming shadow khan, the Chans were more focused on her shocked and hurt expression. She was obviously expecting someone else. Her tears flowed down her resigned face.

It was weird. Shadow khan could not feel, couldn't they?

_"Tono-sama janai. Yapari ne. Watashi wa honto ni hoki sareta."(2)_

The two chi wizards were researching about the island that Jackie and Jade went to. The three ex-Enforcers, now chi apprentices, were doing the gopher work among other things.

There was a high chance that the island had some magic mojo. At first, they thought it was the legendary Penglai mountain. It was proven false when they looked into the local legends surrounding the place. While it was still sacred ground, it was the opposite of white.

It was believed to be some sort of yokai island among other things. Some believed that it was the gateway to the land of the dead. Others believed that deities lived there. Demons, even the Oni, were supposedly afraid of the place. It was impossible to get to. Not even magic could help.

Rather than appear once every after a few years like most legends with mysterious islands, this one tended to disappear instead. The rare event only ever occurred during the night. Its disappearance meant that dark creatures would fill the night sky. The mournful cries of a young girl would resound in the darkness.

None of the creatures ever attacked the nearby settlements. They would only become aggressive when humans would go near. They seemed oddly protective, hence the deity theories.

People started becoming uneasy and a little paranoid ever since the accidental revelation of magic and the works. The island was too mysterious. Answers were demanded. Who else to come to but the experts.

All was well and peaceful at Uncle's Rare Finds until Tohru got the willies. Everyone promptly froze.

"Big T? Was that...?" the Irish ginger trailed waveringly.

He was not very confident with his magic yet. He, along with Ratso and Chow, were beginners. Despite having excellent teachers and staggering experience, 3 and a half months was not enough if the threat was especially big. And the Chi wizards only get the willies when it's really bad.

"Hey Finn, what's with the outfit?" Jade casually asked.

Rather than his usual attire, the man in question was wearing cargo pants, combat boots, a black fitting sleeveless shirt, his trademark necklace, a wireless radio on his neck and left ear, a white apron, and yellow cooking gloves. In his hand was a tray of butter cookies and a pot of tea in the other.

"I spied on my nephew's new suspicious female friend to see if she was tight and Ratso made cookies." he replied casually on impulse.

"AIYAA!"

Saying Uncle was surprised would be an understatement. Tohru actually feared that his sensei had a heart attack.

In the middle of the workshop was Jade, Jackie, and an unknown teenage girl. Both Jade and said girl were blue.

"SHADOW KHAN!?" Ratso and Chow yelled dropping their book and staff respectively. The former pulled out a newt and pointed it while quivering. They had had enough of those ninjas.

Finn's jaw dropped when he turned and saw the dreaded scenario.

"Kumori-chan meet my kazoku! And I can't believe you spied on Charlie's date. That's just wrong."(3) Jade exclaimed happily.

"We can..uh..explain." said Jackie as he wilted from the shocked and disapproving eyes burrowing holes into him. Everyone was ignoring Jade's words and the fact that she was eating blue strawberry like fruits.

"Explain." Tohru deadpanned. He really had no idea what to make of the situation. He was angry, confused, frustrated, fearful, and overall worried. It was driving him nuts.

Jackie then related their story. He explained that shadow travel was the only option they could think of to escape the island.

The girl had to come with them because she was the only one who could do that safely and the two Chans didn't want to leave a poor girl whose heart had been shattered in the worst way possible. Even if she was a shadow khan.

Kumori explained her background while Jade and Tohru worked as translators. She told the about Tarakudo's betrayal. And her newfound attachment to Jade.

"Family must stick together. We are both sentient shadow khan. We are sisters now. And you, our brother, yes?" she said in ancient Japanese.

"Huh?"

Kumori pointed to Tohru who was both surprised and confused.

She could sense that he had been touched by shadows before. If the sumo had gone to the island, he would have regained his shadow khan gifts as well. The presence of the linking well, the intersecting point of the two worlds, assured such a thing. It was after all, the closest her kind could relate to holy ground. It was where all true shadow khan were born.

"AIYAA! SHADOW KHAN EVIL MAGIC! ONE MORE THING! PREPUBECENT GIRL TOO SUSPICIOUS! ONE MORE THING! WE MUST CHANGE JADE BACK! ONE MORE THING! WE MUST DO RESEARCH!" Uncle yelled out in frustration.

"Oh? I can undo my appearance just fine." she replied in her native tongue.

Kumori's skin turned fair and her eyes turned dark brown. Everyone was stumped.

"And I'm not prepubescent. I'm biologically 16." she pouted. For some reason, she could understand English perfectly. She just couldn't speak, write, or read it.

"And Shadow magic is not evil. It depends only on who controls it. It is elemental magic. A part of nature. Dear brother and sister were only overwhelmed by the evil chi of my _FORMER master._ It was from his mark that they turned. Not from the Well of Shadows." The now seemingly human teenage girl explained. She especially added venom when referring to the ungrateful Oni.

Jade repeated what she said in English.

"Now that dear sister has properly been turned, she is now a true sentient shadow khan free of any foreign influence. I sense that she has great talent. She will learn my teachings just fine." she finished happily. Again, in ancient Japanese.

"You have got to teach me how to do that transforming thing. I don't want to look like a blueberry forever." said Jade excitedly.

"Aiyaa! Jade will NOT be learning evil magic."

"She learn and it NOT evil!" she retorted in a strained attempt at English.

"It is evil!"

"Not evil!"

"Evil!"

"Not evil!"

(1) - "Master? Father?"

(2) - "Not master. I knew it. I truly was abandoned."

(3) - Kumori-chan: the chan part is an honorific. the Kumori part is a name. it means shadow.

kazoku: means family.

I'm not really good at Japanese, especially in grammar. Correct me if I'm wrong.


	3. Chapter 2 - Changes

**Secrets in the Shadows**

**Summary:** All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection for the Human and Shadow realms. One archaeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.

**A/N:** Sorry about only updating now. I'll admit, I actually forgot about this story. Luckily, the work was in my hard drive. I'm not sure I remember what the actual plot for this story was but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Changes**

Chow hit himself with his staff to prove to himself that he wasn't dreaming. The weapon hurt him and it turned to green dust. Horrible memories came. Being pressured into service through fear and violence by demons, wizards, and whatnot just to get his butt kicked was not cool.

He went away and stood in a daze at the registrar. There were no customers coming and everyone else was trying to figure out what to do. Uncle was still arguing with the girl and there was some talk about moon cakes and potions mixed in too. Basically, it was all going to take a while.

It was good that he was alone. He needed a bit of peace and quiet. He was lost in his thoughts and mixed emotions.

He didn't like his particular memories with a certain Oni mask that slightly tweaked his personality during the time he wore it. He could remember the feeling of his consciousness gradually being eaten away every time he summoned the ninja khan. Good thing the Chans got it off of him before it consumed him completely. He didn't say anything then, fearing retribution from the floating Oni head that was his boss, but he was a little relieved.

Shadow khans where always involved. They always seemed to be there. Shendu used them. Daolon Wong used them. Tarakudo ruled over every single one of them. The only one who didn't even have any relation whatsoever to those guys was Drago and he was already a freak without them.

Chow had become so paranoid with shadows at some point that he couldn't sleep. He would stare at the dark half expecting something to come out of it. It was outright irrational and stupid. It was like a child worrying about the Bogeyman under his bed. So, he hid it all and feigned ignorance. If only to keep his pride.

Essentially, the moment Big V started taking orders from a prissy statue, Chow's life went from bad to a hell of a lot worse. It all escalated so fast that when the old man gave him and the other Enforcers a chance - despite already betraying them once before - he just felt so relieved.

Like before, Chow knew that he and his friends weren't really very good at being good. Except for Hak Foo but he doesn't count as he didn't really care about the side. He only wanted a means to earn the title of _Strongest Warrior_.

They weren't very good at being bad either. At least not since Chan and everything else. That end of the world scenario offered them yet again with the chance to be on the good side.

In the end, it was all about motivation. After being let out of the slammer, the Enforcers decided to seek a job at Chan's. Who else would take them anyway? They were _hungry_ and _desperate_. If you couldn't beat the Chans, then join the Chans.

During the battle, they didn't really do much. Sure they helped - kind of - but they didn't jump into the fray like the others. They didn't have a death wish like Hak Foo. But, it was after that mess that the important stuff happened.

Camera phones and the very existence of the World Wide Web itself led to the world finding out about magic. Well...not magic exactly but having multiple accounts and video proof of the final showdown against Drago led to a lot of questions. It went viral so the government couldn't really do much about it.

There were too many eye witnesses to account for. Drago wasn't exactly subtle. The bogus lie about meteors didn't last long as cover. It was a lot worse than Tarakudo's _short_ second reign.

Despite the identity protection provided by the pixilation and omitted names, the Enforcers' nephews would recognize their trademark outfits any day.

* * *

"Hey! You kids aren't supposed to be here!" an agent tried to get the three infiltrators out of their temporary base. Captain Black already had one kid to worry about. He didn't need three more. Even so, our nephews wouldn't budge. The agent couldn't really carry them out with a broken arm and a bruised rib.

"What were you doing!? It was really cool but those monsters could have killed you! Mom was so scared! She couldn't reach you! She cried herself to sleep!"

Frank yelled at Finn. He was holding back tears. He must've been so afraid. We just got out of jail and we were plain broke. It was a given that we no longer had our phones. Not that we could tell the kids that.

I was surprised to see them storm into the hotel Section 13 _borrowed_. The entire area was still on lockdown due to the severe damage. The place was one of the lucky ones left untouched. There was no way our nephews found out about this place through regular means. Chan's kid must be behind this.

"Uh...Um..." Smooth Finn. Not that I can blame him. I'm speechless too. That took us by surprise. How the heck did they get in this hell hole anyways. The whole city's on a freaking section 13 induced lockdown.

Rocko dug his face into his uncle's shirt while racking sobs. He pounded on Ratso halfheartedly. He had that distinct betrayed look on his face.

Charlie was mad. Oh shit, he was mad! His puffy eyes glared straight at me. He was passed worrying. He was outright pissed. He was only this scary when he was seriously mad.

"You're not really import/exporters are you? We're not dumb okay. You wouldn't be here and risking your necks if you were." Charlie accused with a low voice as he eyed the Section 13 agents around that were armed to the teeth and injured to the bone.

_Crap! What do we do now?_

We eyed each other in panic.

"What you three doing? When Uncle says make tea, APPRENTICE MUST MAKE TEA!"

"Apprentice?" Finn, Ratso, and I muttered in confusion.

Chan's brat came beside her uncle - maybe grandfather, we don't really know - and winked at us. She had that expression on her face that said _I did something and you don't know about it._

"Who else do you think I'm talking to? The wall? Go make tea before I kick you out of Section 13!" said the old man in his trade mark crankiness and broken accent.

"Y-Yes bossly..I mean Master!" Finn answered back as the three of us scattered to look for tea.

"Whoa. Our uncles are secret agents who answer to an old guy? Cool!" shouted Rocko. His throat was still hoarse from all the crying.

"No wonder they were so secretive and un-businesslike. It was all a cover." Frank's eyes glowed in renewed faith and awe.

"THIS TALK ISN'T OVER!" Charlie yelled after us. He was still pissed about the lies. At least he wasn't completely angry anymore. I wouldn't be able to take it if my nephew was angry at me forever.

"Did the old geezer just recruit us into section 13 and magic school?" I asked. I was really confused.

"I think so. But I gotta say. That was perfect timing." Ratso shrugged.

"Yeah, he saved our butts back there. By the way, where are we supposed to find tea in this dump?" asked Finn.

I shrugged. None of us really knew the layout of the place. We were obviously looking for the kitchen, or at least a restaurant, but we were grasping at straws. The place was a labyrinth.

* * *

Yeah. That was one crazy day. It was only thanks to Jade that the Enforcers managed to start over. Her and her crazy ideas.

Chow smiled a little at that thought. A costumer came and he made himself customer friendly. The shops been getting a lot of costumers lately. Most of them were not looking to buy antiques though.

Finn wasn't feeling groovy. In fact, he was just tired.

Seriously. That shadow khan chick has some serious screws loose in the head. When she said that they were her family now because Jade treats them as such, he didn't think she would start acting like...this. The stiff needed to loosen up.

For some reason, her definition of family was a little warped. I can finally understand a bit about her relationship with Tarakudo.

She was acting like how a typical assassin or spy would to her master. Add to that severe levels of loyalty, blind obedience, and obsessive tendencies to complete her _missions. _That was family to her. Her life must've sucked if that floating head was the closest thing she had to family, to a father.

When he told her to clean the floor, he didn't expect her to sanitize, buff, wash, and wax all floors of the building. It was so shiny, he could see his own reflection in it. And he only meant for her to clean out the soda she accidentally spilled when she crushed her can with her ridiculous super strength.

Her random muttered comments scared the pants off of him too. When other people heard her, they only thought that she had a dark sense of humor or associate her to Goth.

No. Finn knew that she was 100% honest with everything she said. Sometimes, when a customer would barter for the price, she would threaten to poison them or torture them slowly with the belief that they were spies or shinobi, whatever that was.

Sometimes he wished he couldn't understand what she said. Sadly, Ancient Language wasn't one of the things he mastered first.

Jade was trying her best to teach the girl about the modern world and a bit of common sense when being taught shadow magic and other shadow khan skills. She was still excused from school due to her complexion and stalker, Kumori's personal shadow khan tribe, problem.

The crazy chick reacted violently to customers who offered a handshake or a pat on the back. It wasn't doing good for the antique shop's business. Hey. At least her English was colorful, accented, and heavily broken. If not, things would be a lot worse.

It was an awful first week.

Everyone was weary with her. They were all trying to adjust. It was even more awkward than the Enforcers in section 13's new magic department or Hak Foo in Captain Black's roster of successful top spies.

There was one thing that only Finn managed to notice. No one else even realized it. It was obvious she could sense the discomfort she causes. Hence, the try hard attitude. She tries so hard that she makes it worse.

Ancient Japan was a far cry from the present times. Finn understood that. Under Uncle's apprenticeship, Finn learned about history in very curious ways. All the research he's been subjected to actually got him unbelievable levels of specialized education.

Anyhow, he understood that the world was so alien to the girl. It was one hell of a culture shock on her end. It was hard to let old habits go.

He already knew that from experience. At least, he thought, her sad eyes were finally starting to look happy. She was endlessly amused and was always curious. She was like a child despite her true age. Everything was so new to her.

Remembering how the girl managed to restrain attacking the boys checking her out at the mall, Finn thought of congratulating her with a gift. He wasn't the only one who needed to research after all.

* * *

Ratso POV

I don't know why everyone's at edge with Kumori. She's a very nice girl. She taught me how to fold a paper crane and how to pick a lock using a needle.

Finn and I gave her the grand tour of the city. We even brought her to the mall. I can understand that she would get angry at the people that stared at her. It was rude.

We were hoping to buy her new clothes but she just morphed her kimono into a pair of black skinny jeans, purple long sleeves, a black short sleeved hoodie, and a purple checkered scarf. Her powers were limited to dark colors but she didn't seem to mind. She copied the look from a mannequin wearing the same exact look except for the colors. She morphed a pair of black combat boots for her feet that ended up bare from the first morph.

Must be nice to have the power to change clothes like that. It helps save a lot of money.

She seemed to be more interested in the food and the toy shops. I bought pistachio ice cream and she looked at me like I was crazy. She muttered stuff I didn't really get. I think I heard _was savvy_. But I didn't understand why she would call me a pirate.

I bought her chocolate ice cream and she just picked at it curiously. She only started to eat it when it was beginning to melt. She surprisingly didn't like it. Must be the brain freeze freaking her out. Or maybe because she said it looked like frozen poop.

She liked the burgers and pizza better. She was a little freaked out with the advanced technology but she'll get it eventually. Surprise again, tofu has become her new personal favorite. That and she brought home an injured bat and took it in as a pet. She called it Anko. She said it reminded her of a friend.

* * *

Jade POV

Finn was a genius. I can't believe I didn't think of that. He bought Kumori a bunch of magazines and history books. Granted they were all in English but that was what the old Japanese to English dictionaries were for.

She was pouring her undivided attention on text after text. Of course, I was a bit bored with her ignoring me and all but at least I could try practicing the stuff she taught me alone for once.

Uncle was still skeptical about shadow magic but even he had to admit defeat when he couldn't find a trace of dark chi on us. He tried _every_ potion and I mean it when I say that.

The evilness was all an aftereffect of Tarakudo's chi apparently. It wasn't the shadows' fault. Being like this again, that little tidbit brought me a lot of relief.

So far, I've only been able to summon two shadow khans. They were little girls. They looked like me actually. Made sense because they were from my personal tribe of shadow khan. No wonder the tribes varied.

Like the ninja tribe, my tribe were combat type. They wore typical kunoichi outfits. They were like little ninja khans except faster in every way and could mimic sounds or voices like parrots. They were lightning fast. They disarm their opponents first and then trap or subdue them. Awesome huh?

They fought with razor sharp fans, arrows, cross-bows, whips and chained scythes. They were long and mid-range fighters. They kind of sucked a little at hand-to-hand combat because of their size but Kumori said it would no longer be a problem when I summon more than two. Team work was a natural thing with the girls.

Kumori's tribe was really cool. They were literally made to be the perfect spies and assassins. Like Kumori, they were hot teenage girls. They wore cute black and purple kimonos(short like skirts) with long sleeves reaching past their fingers, black ankle cut pants, and black sandals. A black scarf concealed their faces but kept the red eyes visible.

They fought with poisons. Their purple umbrellas functioned as a concealed weapon considering it was hard like metal and it had a poisoned pointed tip. They fought with poisoned needles, claws, and knives. Even their nails were laced with poison. I think their scarves can be used like weapons too.

Even so, their greatest asset was their ability to shape-shift and adapt to any environment. It wasn't just simple morphing like the squid khan's tentacles. They could turn into anyone. The only setbacks were their lack of speech and aversion to strong light. Those were impossible to change. Even so, they were great actresses.

Kumori said that shadow travel was still too advanced for me. Changing back to human might take effort but it wasn't as hard. So far, the best I could do was change back my face. I was still a shadow khan from the neck down.

I had no idea where she kept them. She said that despite its appearance, the shadow realm actually has island domains for each tribe dedicated to their masters. When she and Tarakudo wiped out the already few existing sentient shadow khans, they didn't destroy their domains and archives. They just kept them abandoned. They had their uses.

Who knew that the first original shadow khan tribes were made to be farmers, fishermen, artisans, and the like? Talk about peaceful. The people who found the intersection where they built the well were pacifists. No wonder they were so easy to wipe out. Only the wizards stood a chance.

Even so, I have no idea where these places were. I didn't even know that I had my own domain now. Or where it actually was. Tohru said that he didn't see any island when he went to the shadow realm. It was just a murky gravity defying space or void. I don't know if it was just him or if the islands had cloaking mechanisms.

Whatever it was, it had to be something cool. It just proves how little we know about the shadow realm and the other elemental magics.

With that in mind, Kumori pointed out that the 8 demon sorcerers weren't really evil at first. She met them before and she was surprised to find out that they became evil. They were supposedly in good relations with the humans, even the 8 immortals.

It was weird hearing something like that. After everything we've been through, everything _they've_ done, it was hard to believe they were ever...good. But, seeing Kumori, it was hard not to keep an open mind.

I wonder what happened.

* * *

Captain Black POV

Thanks to section 13's resources, we were able to make a fake identity for this Kumori ninja girl. She was now Tohru's cousin according to her papers.

She didn't seem to mind that. She took it to herself to call the sumo Itoko, meaning cousin, from then on. She seemed pleased with the idea of family. Jackie said that it was actually one of the reasons why the girl ever even worked for Tarakudo in the first place. He was the closest thing to family that she got. That and she owed him her life, apparently. I still can't wrap my head around it.

I suggested getting her enrolled in school but the Enforcers were against it. Uncle even yelled at me harshly for thinking it. He said she was still adjusting. Putting her in high school would cause a catastrophe. She would freak out.

Considering the fact that the public was a little paranoid with all things magic at the moment, it would be better to keep the girl that actually has better control over shadow khan compared to Tarakudo AWAY from all that.

Ratso suggested home school which wasn't really a bad idea. The girl didn't know much about the system. She didn't even know how to read English.

Miss Hartman was great help. After being turned into a demon thanks to the sky demon's chi, Jade's teacher had her suspicion that the girl's stories were true. Drago's stunt confirmed her suspicions. She's been very helpful in helping Jade catch up with her studies. She was surprised to find out what really happened to her student but she remained level-headed nonetheless.

The Enforcers, the good teacher, the Chans, the J-team, and Kumori. The list of people I have to observe, protect, and watch out for all at the same time just keeps growing and growing.

I still don't understand how the old man made 4 Enforcers his apprentice but still wouldn't trust me with a spell book. I remember our discussion about the new magic department of section 13 all too well.

* * *

"Magic must defeat magic!"

"I know that, thank you! What I don't know is why you recruited the Enforcers in the division. They're not even wizards."I tried to reason out.

I can't believe I was the last to find out about this. I'm the head of section 13 for Pete's sake.

I was away finalizing the creation of the new department. I knew we had to recruit badly but I didn't expect to already have members when I got back.

"NEVER QUESTION UNCLE! They have good chi control. They practiced during the many times they fought against us using magic. One more thing! They are very sensitive to dark chi now. One more thing! Ratso makes good tea." Uncle explained in a very Uncle like way.

"But that was evil magic and most of those times they weren't even human." I tried to point out.

Uncle did his trademark to finger smack at my head. Jade giggled as she watched me look like a clueless idiot...again.

"EXACTLY! WERE YOU NOT LISTENING TO UNCLE?" he yelled. "That is precisely why learning magic will be easy for them."

"Think of it this way Captain Black. It'll be easier to watch them like this. They'll be able to learn how to protect themselves from all the creepy dark magic they hate and seem to attract like a magnet. It's a win-win situation. Everybody's happy." Jade pointed out.

The smug look on her face suggested that she felt like she won this argument. And she did. The government was in dire need of magic consultants. Heck the UN demanded it. Section 13 had too many injured agents and too many assignments to keep up with.

By taking the Enforcers under their wing, they could forget about the whole surveillance program he put up for them and focus on other important matters. Other than that, he could ensure that they would never be a problem again. They could just stay on the good side. For good this time.

I sighed. For some reason, I feel like Jade was behind all this. The whole department was her idea after all. She must've planned to recruit the three right from the start.

"Okay fine. They can stay." I said.

"Yes!" she whispered as she put her fist up in victory.

"But Hak Foo stays too. I know he refused to become an apprentice but I can still make him one of my agents." I added.

"This is going to be awesome." she said squealing.

"You're still not allowed to interfere with the department's matters." I added.

"What!? But it was my idea!" she whined. I knew it was going to come to this.

"I told you. You can be a Section 13 agent but only after you graduate." I explained.

"Hatcha! Only if you do good in class!" Uncle interjected. He and Jackie were still uncomfortable with the idea.

"Awww!"

* * *

Maybe I just don't have talent. That or he hates my guns. My many _many_ guns. He's not exactly tech savvy.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter is mostly the inner musings of the characters. Sorry if you didn't like it or if some characters seemed OOC to you. I find it hard sometimes when I don't know much about the stuff a character actually likes.

I don't like the black and white definition of good and evil. Not everyone is born inherently evil. They are always the shades of grey in between. The sides are choices and permanence is an illusion.

Shadows are a natural part of the world. I consider it an element. Just because the show portrayed elemental chi magic as evil due to their users doesn't automatically make them evil. :P

Also, if anyone asks why the format for this chapter's a little awkward, Chow and Finn's parts were supposed to be first person too like the rest but I wasn't too comfortable writing their characters in POVs yet when I made this and I sort of just finished it to the way it is. Sorry. This was an old story.


	4. Chapter 3 - Children

**Secrets in the Shadows**

**Summary:** All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection for the Human and Shadow realms. One archaeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.

* * *

**Chapter 3** **-** **Children**

The demon sorcerers in the void were doing what they usually did in the Netherworld. It involved a lot of bickering. It was tiring and utterly useless.

Shendu and his son were sealed together. The demon sorcerers found the two fighting. They wasted no time in stopping them and taking their respective demon chi back from Drago. Ever since then, Shendu and Bai Tza argued about everything.

Shendu still _acted_ meek in front of his siblings but when alone with one only, save for Bai Tza and Tchang Zhu, he would regain his obnoxiousness and arrogance.

The other more level-headed demon sorcerers, namely Tso Lan, Xiao Fung, and Hsi Wu, took it upon themselves to separate from the group to get their peace and quiet. Po Kong occasionally demanded her time alone as well. Drago separated himself completely. He was sour and bitter. He was a lone wolf in the family. He wasn't a black sheep though. Tchang Zhu himself congratulated him with his close success. It was quite the accomplishment for someone so young and inexperienced. Though, trying to destroy the world was a little overboard but at least it was a _realistic goal._

The guy fell for the excuse that it was like an ultimate revenge on humanity or something.

Even so, Drago didn't try to free the demon sorcerers. He even gave up his original agenda of freeing his father. He didn't like his family. His memories of them were not very good. In fact he disliked his family to the core. One of the main reasons why he actually even thought of taking over the world - well turn it inside out - was because of his inferiority complex. He did it to smite them. To prove himself.

It was only to be expected. He never saw them as how they were before. They were much better in their younger days. Their parents were proud of them. They actually got along well with each other AND with the humans. The sorcerers themselves knew that. But the problem was they didn't remember any of it. It was just a distinct feeling. It's was what made it a little hard to believe when the Eight Immortals tried to convince them. It obviously didn't work.

In the end, they were completely taken over by evil chi. They became evil. They defined evil. The Eight Immortals lost hope in them. They were shadows of their former selves. They were already beyond help in their eyes. And so, they sealed them away as it was the last resort. Their last show of mercy.

Tso Lan sighed heavily. He was always the one with knowledge. He didn't like how he could never answer the most important questions. The netherworld gave him a very long time but it was only after his second sealing that he started to think about the past. Seeing the lotus flower made him feel, or rather, remember a sensation he never thought he'd ever felt. Sure, he hated the flower. It was what sealed him. But it also made him feel calm, relieved, happy and nostalgic. It left a pang in his heart. It was confusing. It was the same when the immortal He Xiang Gu(1) sealed him. Retrieving his chi from Drago didn't really help put this matter away from his mind's focus.

Perhaps, it was something important? Sadly, he would never find out. He was stuck in the netherworld forever.

* * *

"Why a bat?" asked Tohru.

"Once I meet little boy, Itoko. Anko remind me of him."

The sumo was curious. How could anyone be remembered through a bat? Perhaps, it was the circumstance of the meeting? He could never understand what goes on in Kumori's mind sometimes.

She placed the small bud of lotus flower she got in a fish bowl. She placed a black-bladed Chinese sword with a golden scabbard on the wall underneath the katana sheathed in a beautiful white. She placed two Japanese sutras on either side of the swords. The room seemed like an odd mixture of Japanese and Chinese cultures. The decor obviously were symbolic in nature.

Tohru could account for all the symbols of the Immortals he saw. He didn't know what they were supposed to truly symbolize though. The flute was supposed to honor a little boy. It wasn't for the female immortal Han Xiang Zi then.(2)

Kumori had been provided a room in section 13. It was next to Jackie and Jade's room. It was rather large and bare at first but now it seems to have been filled to the brim. It looked more like a dojo or treasury than a room when the girl was finished with it. She would come there to train rather than to sleep despite the presence of a futon in her actual bedroom. There, her closets were filled with scrolls, tablets, and books. The only untouched area was probably the bathroom. No decor in there.

The girl spent most of her time at the shop making sales, hanging out, learning, or teaching Jade. She was very interested in her subjects. She thought math and language were especially useful. She still had a hard time with them though, as was expected. To her, technology and the new advances in science were mysterious magic. She agreed with Uncle when he called Jade's laptop a magic waffle iron. It was actually the first thing they ever agreed on.

She was very sensitive to chi signatures as well. She actually felt Miss Hartman arrive and thought that the woman had Hsi Wu with her the first time they met.

"Itoko?"

"Yes, Kumori-chan?"

"How did you do it? How did you and Enforcers go from bad to good?" she asked in Japanese. She still felt a little strained in English after all.

Jade had been telling her stories about the past. The sumo supposed she was bound to ask sooner than not.

"It's not that hard. You just need a good enough reason to change. At first, I did it to get back at Valmont and Shendu but I found a better reason along the way."

"Uncle?" she asked knowing of the sumo's former status as apprentice.

"Him and everyone else. They were kind to me. They gave me a chance to atone like the other Enforcers. They felt like family. And I was finally doing something I could feel proud of for once."

Kumori made a face. It was cute. It made Tohru feel like he was talking to Jade rather than an all-powerful shadow khan that has lived for thousands of years.

"Atone? The others didn't seem like they would change solely for atonement." she pointed out skeptically.

"Because they didn't. They changed for their nephews. For a better life. For a way out of the nightmarish spiral that they fell into."

"Ah! I see. A strong enough purpose to bring about great change. I understand now."

Tohru nodded at her sagely words.

She paused for a while. He could tell she had a lot on her mind. She seemed troubled. Conflicted.

"Itoko. Do you think I can atone for my sins? Do you think I can change like you for my new family?"

Her words were barely above a whisper and laced with worry. He sighed and put on a large smile in hopes of encouraging her. He could understand her feelings. He went through it before. Many times.

"Of course, Kumori-chan. You were already good to begin with. You only followed the wrong person."

At that, she snapped to defend the Oni.

"No. I followed Tarakudo even after he became hungry for power. He was like a father to me. He saved my life. If he had been the one to release me and take me back, then I still would have followed him. His hunger for power and recognition made him fear me. He used to be kind to me. He used to have compassion. Believe it or not, he had a soft spot for kids." By the end, tears were forming in Kumori's amethyst eyes.

"Too much power corrupts." Tohru contemplated.

The girl did have a point. Something told him that there was more to the story as well but he didn't pry. It was a sensitive subject. One that he unwittingly poked.

"No, too much ambition does. If one is not content, they are bound to seek for more."

Tohru looked at Kumori in awe for a second and fell into a resigned look. He sighed.

"Sometimes I forget that you are much older than you appear to be."

"Don't fret over it. I admit. Tarakudo himself often called me clueless on more than one occasion." she pointed out with the ghost of a smile.

"You no longer hate him?" he asked intrigued.

"I never hated him. I was just angry. Like a raging storm, my anger quelled in the end. I still love and shall forever be in debt to him. He was my father for many centuries. But, the Oni that disowned me and sealed me into the well was _not_ my father." she explained.

"Well said...my Itoko."

* * *

Miss Hartman was arranging papers. She had to be sure to separate Jade and Kumori's papers from those of the class. She was humming a beautiful melody as she did. The song reverberated in the almost empty classroom.

"Miss Hartman, when is Jade coming back?" Jimmy asked her.

"Soon, hopefully. She still has a few things to work out." she said.

"But, she not blue anymore. I visited." The boy whispered to make sure no one else hears. The teacher stopped in her task to scoot nearer and whisper back.

"Yes, but only her face isn't."

The boy groaned. He was really concerned for his friend. It was obvious that he missed her. The teacher was quite surprised when she saw the boy at the shop at one time having a heated discussion with Jade about the effects of too much garlic in a potion. It seemed that the boy knew about magic as well. In fact, he was a candidate for Tohru's apprenticeship but he declined for some reason.(3)

"Maybe I can come with you, Miss Hartman. You're going there again today right?" he asked.

"Of course Jimmy, but you have to help me finish first." she smiled.

"Ok."

* * *

Drew POV

Ninja girl's been out of commission for 5 weeks now. Miss Hartman said that she wasn't getting left behind because she and a bunch of other tutors were homeschooling her. They said she was still too sick to go to school but I know they're lying.

There is no way that she can possibly get sick for this long. She's not even in the hospital. If it's really as bad as they make it sound, she should be there. That freakoid, Jimmy, has been visiting her a lot too. He said something about an annoying Mexican boy being around too much. If I had to guess, magic or something like that is behind all this.

I still get in ninja girl's nerves. I did make a fool out of her a lot. What was I supposed to do, agree with her? As if! Her tall tales were too nonsensical to be true! Except now, I'm not sure.

I'm always the first to snort at her stories but it doesn't mean I don't listen. I remember what happened at Jade's booth. The animals were surely magic. The dark warriors were there too. I'm pretty sure I wasn't hallucinating.

After the big reveal, I started to think about the stuff she kept going on about. They all did have certain patterns that never faltered. I have the strangest feeling that the girl in black in the viral videos was her. Who else could it have been?

Just when I was about to leave like the others, I saw Jimmy approach Miss Hartman.

"Miss Hartman, when is Jade coming back?" he asked her.

"Soon, hopefully. She still has a few things to work out." she said.

They whispered to each other next so I couldn't really catch what they were saying. Jimmy groaned. He was really close with Jade. Too close. Like, best friends close. It annoys me sometimes. I don't really know why. But, I guess I do feel worried about her. I'm not that heartless. But, it's annoying that the freakoid gets to know how she's really doing and the rest of us are kept in the dark.

"Maybe I can come with you, Miss Hartman. You're going there again today right?" he asked.

"Of course Jimmy, but you have to help me finish first." she smiled.

"Ok."

They're going to see Jade? Great, maybe I can follow them. Freakoid might get suspicious if I ask to come with them so that's out. Hopefully, I'll get some answers.

* * *

"What do you think, red or green?" Viper showed her companions two checkered skirts.

"I do not believe Yade would ever wear a skirt seniorita Viper. She wears clothes for hombre(4)." claimed the 12 year old.

"Paco, she's still a girl."

"I do not understand. Seniorita Kumori can make her own clothes. Can't Yade do the same thing?" he asked curiously. He still couldn't figure out why they were out shopping in the mall in the first place. He had the inkling that the ex-thief was only trying to take advantage of the sales. San Francisco was still rebuilding. There was a sale on everything. Even soap..._Especially_ soap.

"Si Pacito, but she can't do it very well yet." El Toro reasoned.

The group was attracting attention. Of course they would. One of them was a hot girl in skintight jeans with a body that supermodels would kill for. With her is a hulking masked guy in a monkey suit and a Hispanic boy holding a bunch of dresses. The only thing missing was a camera man and they might as well be celebrities on a reality TV show.

"El Toro's right. Besides, that ability only accounts for a few _dark _hued colors. Jade likes bright colors, remember?" Viper added.

"I still do not understand why we are buying clothes for Yade without her consent." the boy stated with a frown.

"Don't you want to bring a present to cheer her up?" Viper cooed at the boy knowing the existence of a slight crush.

Ignorant of the hint, Paco took a wrapped present out of his backpack with the words _Good Luck_ written on it and said..."Comic books."

El Toro ad Viper looked at each other and sighed. The boy just knew Jade too much to be a romantic.

* * *

Jimmy and Miss Hartman walked to section 13 with Drew hot on their tail. The teacher was humming the same melody as before. Her companion appreciated the sweet melody. It was relaxing. The tone was jubilant and free but it also sounded a little sad.

"Miss Hartman, where did you hear that song? It's nice."

"Huh? I'm not sure. I've been singing it for a while. I never thought about where I heard it." she said. She thought for a while and then snapped her fingers.

"I'm not sure where but I think I heard it played on a flute." she said.

"Oh." said the boy. They both turned the alley and saw the out of order payphone that was secretly the high speed elevator to section 13.

"Get in." said the teacher. He did and they were whisked away in seconds.

"We should have taken the stairs." mumbled the boy when he felt his lunch protest in his stomach.

Meanwhile...

"Huh?"

Drew turned to the same alley to see trash but no Jimmy or Miss Hartman.

"What!?"

* * *

(1) - The Immortal He Xiangu, whose symbol is the lotus pod, is female in Chinese mythology opposed to the series' depiction.

(2) - The Immortal Han Xiang Zi, whose symbol is the flute, is male in Chinese mythology opposed to the series' depiction.

(3)- Jimmy didn't want to ever become Iso and he wasn't taking any chances.

(4) - man

I'd like to point out that texts written by human hands don't necessarily tell the whole story. They only portray the general gist of things. They only contain the perception of the writers.

The winners are the heroes of the story. Everyone has their own perceptions of right and wrong. That is true. Things aren't always what they seem.

...I wanted to add a bit more character to the villains in this story.


	5. Chapter 4 - A Bit Of History

**Secrets in the Shadows**

**Summary:** All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection for the Human and Shadow realms. One archeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.

* * *

**Chapter 4 - A Bit of History**

Going through all his memories refreshed Daolon Wong of knowledge long forgotten. Jackie's use of the Portal spell gave him hope of escaping his memories even without the Deja Vu stone's power. He was right of course. He had seen countless powerful relics in his past.

The evil chi wizard found himself escaping an efreet (1) while clutching the dagger it guarded in the ruins. He managed to escape the creature for a few minutes by hurting it with magic and diverting its attention to his dark chi warriors. It gave him enough time to think his words carefully. He knew his warriors wouldn't last long but one wrong word and it will be all over for him.

The dagger he held was a special one. It housed a djinn(2) within it. A genie so to speak. The dagger housed a particular djinn known to be intelligent and to have quite the twisted sense of humor. Often, she twisted the words of wishes if she didn't like the person or if she just felt like it. She was not very fond of humans after all.

If his memory was right, the last time he wished on the dagger, he said,

"I wish to get away from here."

The djinn was rather insightful. She knew evil intentions when she felt it. The wish was granted. Imagine the shock on Daolon Wong's face when he realized that only he was transported. The dagger was nowhere in sight.

Even worse was where he ended up in. He fell right into the middle of a temple filled of _good_ chi wizards. With a crippling disadvantage, the _evil_ chi wizard knew that escape was his only option. At least there, he could use teleportation magic. The djinn's temple was decorated with magic disrupting runes everywhere. He was trapped inside.

He still felt particularly sour about that day. He never thought he'd ever set foot in the wretched ruins again. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

"I wish to escape the effects of the Deja Vu stone thereby returning to my rightful time. And I wish for my staff to be repaired and for my powers to be restored."

And so the wishes were granted. The djinn seemed to have recognized that the evil chi wizard felt familiar with the events and were very careful with his words. The actual wishes confirmed her suspicions. She could have exploited a loophole but thought against it.

Seeing as how, unlike most, the wizard wanted nothing from her. She granted his wishes properly. If she already messed with him before, doing it a second time would only be redundant. Besides, the fool wasn't after her power. It was better to leave him be. He would never come back anyway. She could sense how he hated her and her efreet.

Daolon Wong returned to the temple ruins of the Deja Vu stone. The place had long since been vacated by the Chans. They took the stone with them. It was most likely locked inside section 13's vault now.

The wizard knew nothing about the radical changes of the world during his confinement in his memories. He was in for a shock.

* * *

"Huh? What's this?" Jade asked no one in particular. She found a painting. Unlike the most of the books and scrolls, the words on this one was written in old Chinese.

It was really weird. It depicted Kumori with an awkward but happy looking Tarakudo. The depiction of the Oni looked forced at some parts. It was made in a hurry. Even so, it was still breathtaking.

The text said,

_"I'm sorry about Dad._

_He really doesn't like the idea of conquest._

_I hope your dad doesn't take it too personally and keep you away._

_\- From a concerned friend."_

Although Jade could only make out a rough translation, she caught the message. She got curious.

"Hey, Kumori?" she called.

"Yes Jade?" the elder shadow khan's head poked through the door. Jade put the painting up to convey the question.

"Oh." Kumori walked in and looked at the painting sadly.

"Bai Tza made this for me as an apology."

"..."It took at Jade at least four seconds to process that.

"BAI TZA!?" she yelled in surprise. The painting was a masterpiece. Who knew the demon sorceress had that kind of talent? But, that wasn't Jade's focus.

Kumori nodded and began to elaborate.

"Tarakudo wanted to ally himself with her father at the beginning of his conquest but he was denied. Uncle Wan was far too smart and too kind to people to do that."

"Wait a sec. The _Big Daddy_ of the demon sorcerers was a _good guy_!?" Jade yelled in disbelief.

"Whoa! What's going on? I did not understand a thing you said."

Jimmy entered the room along with Miss Hartman. Since Jade and Kumori were talking in Japanese, their conversation sounded like an exchange of gibberish to them.

"Jade, mind your manners. There are other people here in section 13." the teacher reprimanded.

"Oops. Sorry." Jade blushed. "She just dropped a mega bomb on me."

"I tell about demon sorcerers father. How things like before they turned tainted to evil." Kumori explained.

Her English was a bit off but Miss Hartman knew that it was a huge progress on her part. It's not that easy to learn a language in only 5 weeks. Her efforts in trying to read the magazines Finn got for her regularly helped motivate her to learn fast. Reading helped with her grammar too.

"So you're telling us that they didn't use to be psychos before?"

"Jimmy. Language." the teacher admonished while the boy looked sheepish.

"Yeah! She said that this One guy..."

"Wan Shi Tong." Kumori corrected Jade.

"That guy...was supposed to be on good vibes with the humans. He kicked Tarakudo out when he suggested an alliance for conquest of Ancient Japan."

"And the state of Qin"(3) added Kumori.

"and China!"

"Hmm. I thought it was weird that the Oni only ever ruled Japan. I mean, they tried to cover the entire world with darkness last time, right? Maybe this guy stopped them before?" suggested Jimmy.

"Did you not hear what we just said? It's the big daddy of the _Demon Sorcerers_!" pointed out Jade.

"So? Kumori's a shadow khan general and you're one too. I don't see either of you trying to take over the world."

Jade paused to consider that but a tiny whiny part in her mind sourly retorted that she did try that once too and Kumori had been working for Tarakudo.

"T-That's different!"

"We should keep an open mind. I mean, just because they're demons doesn't automatically mean they're evil right? I mean, we're humans and we're not all nice. In some crazy future, I was once an evil chi wizard." shrugged Jimmy.

Ms. Hartman gave the boy a look of pride. She too felt the same way as he did. After all, everyone should be given a second chance. Besides, she was once a demon and she didn't really feel inclined to do evil at the time. All she felt was a satisfying sense of freedom.

Kumori blinked in surprise. She didn't hear anything about _that_ from Jade yet. The story of Iso was one of the hidden gems that exist in the cracks between the major stuff like Shendu, the Dark Hand, or Drago for example.

"That true?" she asked her junior.

"That one's a _looong_ story."

* * *

"Atchaa!"

Uncle raised an old battered scroll in triumph. With Tohru's connections, he managed to get his hands on some Japanese texts and inscriptions. The former apprentice had made a name for himself as an expert in Ancient languages with mastery in Ancient Japanese.

He also caught the attention of several notable onmyoji clans and shrines due to his heavy involvement in Tarakudo's defeat. It seems the owners of the car company that had the Hana Fuda cards were not as detached to the other shrines as they appeared.

"What is it sensei?"

"Yeah, what's got you groovin' Boss man."

"I found possible sources on impolite Oni child's disappearance!" said Uncle.

The apprentices, former and current, all gulped audibly. It was hard to find information about shadow khan and the Onis' reign as it was. It was even harder to find information about the tenth general that wasn't supposed to exist.

She was the spy no one ever knew about. She said that only Ikazuki knew of her existence. He was the first Oni Tarakudo got onto his side. From him, the others followed into the ranks.

Even with proof that she wasn't evil, Uncle still wanted proof of her existence in history. He didn't like not knowing. It was the same with the Oni. He didn't like being so clueless and lost. He was supposed to be the human magic encyclopedia. Not the syntax error on a scientific calculator.

"Tohru! Read Japanese!"

"Yes, sensei. Um. According to this servant's memoir, there was a great panic when people suddenly disappeared - all at once - in puff of blue smoke, in all of Japan."

"Spy khan? They must've been _everywhere_." commented Chow. He knew much about how a society's underworld worked. He used to thrive in it. For spies to work, they'd need to have a large network.

"Yes, that's true. This servant's master's youngest son was one of the people to disappear."

"Huh? Why would clueless replace some kid, Unc?" asked Finn. "I know I call her that sometimes but she's not an actual idiot."

"Man was wealthy aristocrat and member of onmyoji clan's branch family." Uncle elaborated. Tohru's eyes were wide as saucers. He gasped hard as he realized finally what his sensei had really found.

"She was monitoring the Japanese Chi wizards." he realized. The other confused apprentices finally caught what it meant.

"Memoir states that child was very sickly, yes? He was miraculously cured when 3 years old _BUT_ at the expense of his voice. It is most likely he died. Oni child must have replaced boy before anyone noticed." Uncle mused.

"Smart. No one would suspect little kids. They're too adorable." Ratso commented while lovingly rubbing his mummified newt.

"That must be how the floating head managed to stay a step ahead of them. He messed with them from the inside." suggested Chow.

"Kumori's sealing cost Tarakudo more than he thought. The chi wizards managed to organize themselves without hindrances. Given enough time, they found a way to defeat him and his generals." agreed Tohru.

"Dude got careless." commented Ratso.

"Yes, he was _very_ careless. By removing rude general girl, he informed all of Japan about spies. He angered _many_ people.

"She was the only one who could do it. Her shadow khan tribe is defined by _her_ chi. Wizards would never sense evil chi from the spies unless she were truly Oni, like Tarakudo." realized Tohru.

Uncle felt oddly at peace. Even if most of the answers he got were drawn conclusions from a servant's diary, he was happy to know that the newest and possibly most dangerous addition to their family wasn't completely a threat. Even if he doesn't really trust her yet.

She wasn't lying about her not so clean past. This was proof. Still, Uncle would still be wary. He didn't like her much. She argues with everything he says. Especially with the chi potions. Oh, that was going to be a long running argument.

"One more thing!" Uncle approached Chow and hit the staff he had been working on with the scroll. It's slight green glow disappeared and it came loose at the two chained joints. After rattling for a few seconds, it _puffed_ to green dust.

"You make a lousy chi weapon!"

"Aww."

Chow was the most proficient in martial arts among the enforcers - besides Hak Foo. He was very versatile with weapons. He remembered the chi weapon he used when he was a dark chi warrior. He thought of making one but it wasn't that easy. It's been two months since he first started and it was starting to get on his nerves.

He deflated as he saw yet another failed attempt come by. He tried so hard this time but one hit and it fell apart. Maybe chi weapons was still too advanced for him after all.

"You make good progress faithful apprentice. Making chi weapons is daunting task. Try adding more _eel mucus_. It gives...kick." Uncle smiled and winked before he walked away.

Chow was stunned for a few seconds. The old man just complemented him AND gave him advice. Sweet! He smiled and started working on a Chi weapon again. He made sure to get a lot of garlic and eel mucus.

'The old man must be in a _really_ good mood. It's almost creepy.' he thought. 'I am so acing this.'

* * *

Drew POV

I can't believe this. They pulled a ninja on me. Did they know I was following them?

I sat on an empty crate. I was still in the same alley where I lost Ms. Hartman and that freakoid, Jimmy. I think those two are spending too much time with Jade. Only she does things like this.

"Are you sure Yade will like this more than the comics, El Toro? Her hair is too short for ribbons."

I heard a boy with a Spanish accent get near. I hid in a dumpster so no one would see me.

"You can still give them both Pacito. The senioritas approve of adoracion."(4)

The kid looked like he didn't catch what the big guy meant.

"She's been cooped up for weeks. She'd probably notice you more than the presents. You haven't argued in forever Paco."

"Seniorita Viper. You are el genio.(5) Today I will prove to Yade that El Toro is the greatest. The mouse man is only segundo (6)to the greatest wrestler in the world."

And they laughed.

El Toro? Paco? Viper? Aren't those names from the J team that ninja girl kept yappin' about? And what's this about presents? Wait, is that foreign kid dating Jade? Blech!

"Hm. Someone beat us to the elevator. I can't believe someone actually used it."

The hot lady, uh...Viper - Right - said that. The three of them were staring at a wall. Freaky.

"Stairs?" she asked.

"Stairs." the two agreed.

They went a little further from the blank wall and opened up a secret passage of stairs from behind the crate I was sitting on before. While this is starting to get cool, I get the feeling that I shouldn't have seen that.

I felt a tug at the back of my shirt and I found myself face to face with El Toro and Viper.

"Hello. How long have you been in there?" she asked sweetly but I could feel her underlying threat.

Crap.

"Uh?"

"You got a tail?!" some redhead that came up the stairs asked in disbelief. His outfit screamed secret agent. Who else wears weird manly cat suits with so many weapons and gear.

"No Mikey, he was here the whole time. If he were trailing us, we would've notice earlier." she told him.

"Is this nino the young Iso I've heard about?" asked El Toro.

Iso?

"No, magic boy does not wear dorky glasses." The kid flicked my glasses.

I can't believe he just did that. He just dissed my glasses. No one messes with the glasses. Not cool bro.

"Either way, he's a security risk. Take him inside. We can figure out what to do with him when Captain Black gets back."

I don't like the sound of that. I am SO in trouble.

* * *

**A/N:**

(1) - An efreet is an enormous winged creature of fire, either male or female, who lives underground and frequents ruins. While ordinary weapons and forces have no power over them, they are susceptible to magic, which humans can use to kill them or to capture and enslave them.

(2) - Djinn are supernatural creatures which possess free will, and can be either good or evil. In some cases, evil genies are said to lead humans astray.

(3) - Qin. Kumori remembers Imperial China where _Qin Shi Huang_ was still emperor. When she disappeared, it was the middle of Tarakudo's reign, or rather, _conquest_ and the Demon Sorcerers weren't the rulers of China yet.

(4) - adoration

(5) - genius

(6) - second

I got the Spanish from Google Translate. Correct me if I'm wrong.


	6. Chapter 5 - Tides Of Fate

**Secrets in the Shadows**

**Summary:** All the Oni and Shadow khan were sealed in Tarakudo's mask. All except for a mysterious female shadow khan sealed at the intersection for the Human and Shadow realms. One archaeological dig was all it took for all hell to break lose.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs and whatever else I add.

* * *

**Chapter 5** **\- Tides of Fate**

Of all the rotten luck.

With all of the hardships that magic had brought to Valmont, you'd think he would get sick of it all. And he did, of course. He hated magic with a vengeance! He hated the reminders of his most crushing failures. He hated the thing that ruined his life many times over.

Alas, it still seemed like the world hated him more. In his small decrepit and dingy apartment was him and a glowing dagger. He felt like he was being mocked.

The thing looked very valuable. It was encrusted with precious stones and the metals were gold and silver alloys. The steel of the main blade itself looked like a well crafted piece of work with Ancient inscriptions on it. It was just the kind of bait that he would fall for. Had he been his old self, of course. Experience has made him wary.

He didn't think much about it when it fell from the sky. He was digging through the trash to find anything he could eat or sell. The Arabian, or possibly Persian, antique literally seemed like a gift from the heavens. It was when the dagger _talked_ that Valmont realized what was going on.

The former mob boss stared at the glowing dagger that illuminated his small room. He had a bored and slightly tired expression on his face. The whispers of power, wealth, immortality, whatever he could wish taunted him with its echoing.

The female dagger - at least Valmont thought so - seemed interested in the British man. His reaction was far from what she expected from a man who fell from the heights of power and wealth. She could tell as much by looking at the way he held himself and his dirty outfit. Once before, they must've cost a fortune. It was only when the dagger stopped whispering promises that Valmont finally spoke.

"Are you finished? It's been 20 minutes since you started blabbering. I was hoping to ask if I could take off some of those jewels on your scabbard. I don't believe anyone would purchase you if they heard you talk. People are quite paranoid with magic these days." he said with an air of annoyance and casualty.

The dagger was silent for a few seconds. She wondered just how much the world had changed. She knew that it must've been quite some time since she last crossed the deserts. Give or take a few hundred or maybe thousand years.

She knew that the world would seem alien when she took her gamble and hitched a ride on the wish of one of those idiots that pursued her. You'd think an ancient ruin guarded by efreets would be enough to keep people away. Sadly men were too ambitious for their own good.

She thought that fate must've brought her to this man. She never liked fulfilling the wishes of power hungry men. She could feel the greed emanating from them.

This man was different, sort of. He already went through all the pain and grief that ambition wrought. He was just tired of it. He just wanted to be left alone now. She was even amused at the slight hate the man was directing towards her.

"Perhaps one ruby would suffice." The dagger detached the ruby at the tip of her scabbard. Valmont made a faint smile and took the jewel from the table.

"This should help with my expenses. Thank you. I didn't think a magical creature would be so...generous." he said, remembering Shendu's trademark selfishness. He was wary for this particular reason.

"I didn't think a human wouldn't be tempted by my offers." Her disembodied voice spoke clearly for the first time. She sounded more casual now.

"I've lost everything because of magical temptation. Even my pride. Live and learn, it seems." He appraised the ruby and mentally started budgeting for the things he needed. Like his overdue rent for example.

"I see. What is this about paranoia towards magic you speak of? I am a little...out of date." she asked curiously. She needed a severe update on the new ways of the world.

"Thanks to Shendu and his blasted _brat_, the world found out about magic in the worst way possible. The general public is still being cleared up on things and the fear is staggering. It'll take some time to fade. It's only been less than a year since after all." He explained like it was common knowledge.

"It seems forgetting magic cost mankind a heavy blow to the psyche." she said with a sad undertone.

"Yes, now would you be a dear and tell me...Burmese or Pigeon's Blood?" Valmont asked.

"Either way, it's still worth a fortune." she pointed out.

"You're right. Now all I have to do is make myself look presentable enough to NOT appear a thief."

"I can help with that."

In an instant, Valmont's worn out clothes had returned to their former grandeur. Gone was the putrid smell of garbage and body odor. His unkempt hair fixed itself and he himself felt like he actually had a good shower. He smelled like Jasmine tea.

"How did..."

"I'm a djinn, dear. Just because I'm supposed to use my powers to grant wishes doesn't mean I can't use them myself for the small things. Think of it as a thank you for our lovely chat." she said with pride.

"I...see." Valmont was fairly disturbed by this. So, the genie wasn't as constricted as he initially though. That was bad news if any.

"You have my gratitude then Miss..." he trailed. The realization that they hadn't exchanged names yet hit him.

"I am Basira, djinn of the whispering winds. Call me as you will."

"Well then, it was a pleasure speaking with you Miss Basira. You may call me Valmont."

"If you're leaving, take me with you. I'd rather not end up in the hands of some ambitious lunatic. No offence."

"None taken. I personally find those moments of my life to be very horrid."

Valmont's face twisted in disgust as the memories came pouring back. The Dark Hand was finished. He might have been sour at first but he let his resentment go in the end. Being a sore loser sucked big time.

He'd done everything he could to get away from all the pain. He even went as far as ending his attempts at crime and turning to, ugh, _honest living_. Even during that, he had to come face to face with Jackie Chan in one of the most pitiful moments of his life. Leaving San Francisco was his best decision yet.

"I'm glad to see we have an understanding, my friend. Know that one wrong move on your part and I might just turn you into a crow." Basira warned when Valmont placed her in his suit's pocket.

"Isn't that a witch curse? You may not be in a lamp but you're still a genie."

"Djinn."

"Is that not the same thing?"

"Fine, but I still won't take back that threat."

"Understood." he sighed. With that, Valmont stepped out of his apartment and headed down the streets of DC.

* * *

Finn POV

I glared at the offending shriveled fish wand that I swear is the cause behind this. I've been practicing for hours but I can't, for the love of all things holy, get this damn spell right.

I've worked hard. I followed the instructions properly even if it was a pain going through them. I even double-checked for potential misses in translation. I'll admit to myself that I'm not the best at the brainy stuff like that but I like to think that I at least got it down to a point after all this time.

"Finn are distressed?" asked Kumori. She was helping me out here since I'm a complete hopeless novice trying to look for a mistake that I can't see for the last few hours and she's, well, she's giving the old man a run for his money on his position as the old magic expert/teacher, not that she looks ancient herself.

"Yeah. Finn is distressed." I admitted with a sigh.

"Worry not. Fast you will understand it." she said with an encouraging smile.

I sigh. At least she's not yelling at me for failing for the umpteenth time.

Ratso already had this spell down months ago. He got it the first time around. He was surprisingly good at potions, with the occasional explosion or two. He said it was just like cooking...I suck at cooking. Chow had a bit of trouble with this one too. But, only a little. He's already back to working on his personal projects and getting tips from the old man.

I _wish_ I knew where to begin for personal projects of my own.

"I don't get it. The spell just doesn't seem to click." I complained. She looked at the disgusting _soup_ and sniffed at it. It was weird the first time but I got used to it by now. That's how she figures out just how much magic went into the thing. How much of it _was_ magic?

"Ouu..." She turned green and shook her head. I bet it didn't smell too good. "Chant not work. Need more chi."

I twitched. I've been pouring all that stuff as hard as I can!

"Finn not go angry. Finn need find center. Meditate." she said.

I sighed and nodded numbly.

"I know. _Inner peace_, right?"

I know what she's talking about. You don't rush magic. Magic spells done in distress often lead to failure. I must be calm and level-headed if I want to spew a nice bucketful of chi. Otherwise, I'd be working on fumes. But, even if I know this, it's just not going so well for me.

I can keep calm, sure. But, half the time, when I do need the spells, they fail on me. I can't help but feel nervous or jumpy, you know? That's _normal_.

"Calm magic Finn not good with." she stated. Yeah, well, she didn't need to be a pro to make that observation.

"Yeah, I'm not very good at this. All I'm good for is _identifying_ magic." I snorted at that. I didn't seem very useful. It's nothing I can use to defend myself. I get the feeling that I'll be needing to know how to do that sooner than not.

"No. Me meant different. Meant magic type not Finn's best partner."

Ninja girl looked a little troubled. I'll admit, the language barrier sucks big time. She must be especially annoyed with it seeing as the only people she can talk to outright in her normal way are little ninja girl, Big-T, Unc, and Captain Black - sorta.

She rolled out a couple of blank scrolls and grabbed a Sharpie pen. She drew pictures of stuff that I more or less identified as some caricature version of magical branches. She was pointing to the cauldron drawing when she looked towards me with determination to explain.

"This Alchemy, Potions." she said. "Calm magic. Um, mind and serenity. _Formula_ magic. Philosophy and culture important. Masters often logical, observant, and make sense person."

Then, she pointed the wand and blowfish one.

"Try spell casting, chants, hexes. Spoken magic. Like _prayer_ or _song_. Masters often whimsical and cunning. Also impatient, not detail-oriented, and react quick. Sometimes, hard to understand."

Then, she pointed to the next with runes and tags.

"Onmyoudou, Buddhist, Hindu, Celtic. All religious with runes, sutra, diagrams. Like art. Like explanation. This _expression_ magic. Influencing magic. Uh, sealing. Use chi trapping. Usually need good detail work and interpreting. Masters often detail-oriented, sharp eye, artistic. My pace person."

Then, she pointed at some doll like thing that looked suspiciously like a golem.

"Kabbalah with golem or Alchemic homunculus. Like familiar, voodoo, necromancy, gong tau curses. This _representing_ magic or _molding_ magic. Masters often high-strung or serious and stoic. But have good imagination."

Then, she pointed to a drawing of a person in a pose.

"This _person_ use self. Use own chi or other chi in body. Act like conduit. Like Chi Gong, Daoist, Shinsendou, shaman, nekiya, prophecy. This _flow_ magic. Masters often determined and simple."

Then, she pointed towards an empty circle.

"This, special type. This involve talent, instinct, inborn. Like willies, magic sensitivity, large chi, bloodline. This usually individualistic. Charismatic also. Not always though. Depends." she shrugged.

Hmm. I get those explanations. It's very broad and inclusive and it might not always apply but, for the most part, she was right. Those were particularly obvious classifications attached to certain personalities. Like...affinities for them. Kinda. But, what's the point of explaining all that?

"So, basically, you're telling me that I have no chance in hell of getting this down because I have no goods to show for it." I grumbled.

"Uh, _yes_?" she said unsure. Hmm, well, at least she's putting me down lightly. It's fine, I guess. This isn't the first time I've been called talentless.

It was an outrage. Daolon Wong went looking for the Enforcers to turn them into his Dark Chi Warriors once again. He felt completely defenseless without help.

He had just found out that the world now knew about magic with rather extreme reactions from several hoodlums, the first people of which he's met yet since his escape from his own past memories. They were so afraid that almost everyone kept a ward on their property or on their person. Daolon Wong had somehow risen up to one of the most wanted criminals due to his magic. While people weren't actively searching for him, it was only a matter of time before someone recognizes him and reports to the authorities.

Imagine his surprise when he found out that the Enforcers were good now. Not only that, they were _apprentices_ to the _good chi wizard_. He wanted to rip his hair out. Even Hak Foo worked for section 13. All the hard work he put on finding them went down the drain. He was infinitely relieved that he used a magical tracking spell first to find out where they were rather than seek them out physically by himself.

_Was anybody even still evil!?_

Daolon Wong left with even more efforts in stealth. He needed to get away before he was caught. Find a safe place to hide. The djinn might have restored his powers in a surprisingly generous way but he was still heavily outnumbered. He didn't even have a base of operations yet. His old castle was overridden with Section 13 agents and curious investigators.

He needed to do something. He was tired and he had no henchmen. He stopped at the Black Forest to recuperate. He thought of the possible place he could go. He needed a stronghold that wouldn't be found no matter what. He need an unsoiled palace and he knew just the one.

But first things first, he must recruit competent henchmen. Ones that won't run away screaming the moment they see him or simply die of a heart attack. It was turning out to be hard work.

* * *

Drew POV

It was everything I imagined a secret headquarters would be and more.

"I know you were pressed for time but did you really have to remake everything _exactly_ like how it was before?" asked the scary hot lady.

"We had to work fast. At least, the cells and the vault were modified. We have too many dangerous artifacts to take care of." said Mickey, the secret agent guy.

"El Toro, may I grab some donuts before we go to Yade?" asked ninja girl's boy friend. My stomach growled loudly. My face grew red and I chuckled sheepishly.

"Can I have some too?" I asked.

"Section 13 is still under construction Pacito. It's muy peligroso. I will get food and you two will follow the nice agent." said the buff guy in the stupid mask. He left for what I assume to be the cafeteria. I looked at the _nice agent_ that hoisted me over his shoulder.

Nice? Yeah, right. Try unfeeling robot!

"Tt! I already memorized the layout of section 13. I can go to Yade and the mouse man's room by myself if I wanted to." announced the foreign jerkass obnoxiously.

"Miss your _girlfriend_, sourpuss?" I asked.

What am I doing? Am I trying to get myself killed? I'm in a freaking secret headquarters with ARMED secret agents at every corner! Why am I pissing off the kid they freely allow to chill with them?

"You...gh..wh.." The kid was speechless. His face started to go red. He was shocked. He obviously didn't see that coming. Okay, so maybe it was kinda worth it if that's the kind of face he's making.

Viper chuckled in amusement while Mickey remained stoic. As usual. Are all secret agents like this guy? He's like a freaking cyborg. Gasp! Maybe he is? At the rate the world is going, that just might be true!

"Shut...Yade is _not_ my novia! She is not feminine bonnita! She is muy macho!" he yelled in denial. He so likes her.

"Well sorry for being _too boyish_ for you! Thank you very much." said a voice whom I recognized as Jade's. My mood dropped to subarctic. She's here to see me now. _Terrific_.

I couldn't really see her. Hello, people! Hanging like a sack of flour on cyborg Mickey? This is so embarrassing. I hope no one else I know sees this.

"Hello. Nice to see you again, Miss Viper." said a distinctly familiar voice. Crap!

"The casual clothes are a nice change from the cat suit." said another voice I didn't want to hear. I just had to jinx myself. Typical.

"Hey guys. You havin' fun without me?" replied Viper.

"Yade! I was just...I didn't mean...I'm..I'm. El Toro is the greatest!"

Huh?

"What!? Heck no! Jackie is _so_ the greatest!"

"El Toro is!"

"Jackie."

"El Toro."

"Jackie."

"El Toro."

"What did I miss?"

El Toro got back with what I assume to be donuts, fries, and club sandwiches. He came from our direction so I could see him. Beside him was some bald guy in a black trench coat, another guy with red hair that looks scary familiar, and Jade's uncle. I think.

"Uncle Jackie! Captain Black! Hak Foo! You're back!" Jade yelled. I saw a black blur ran past me at lightning speed. It lunged at Jade's uncle like a cannon.

"Ow! Jade, please control yourself. I still have bruises from the last time you _hugged_ me." The poor guy moaned. Wait. That's ninja girl? Talk about an appropriate nickname. _What_ is she wearing?

"Hehe. Oops."

"The conference with the UN ended early so we...Whoa! What are you wearing?" asked the badass looking bald guy.

Finally, someone's on the same page as me.

"You like it? I forgot to do my laundry so I morphed my cloths today." she said. She was wearing a full ninja outfit. Now that I see her, there are two ninjas beside her holding stacked laundry baskets. They're both around our age.

Ninjas...Of course.

"You look like your shadow khan." said the scary redhead. Seriously! Where have I seen him before? He makes me feel like pissing myself. Not that I'd do that. Not in here at least.

"I know. I couldn't manage anything else. At least it covers my skin."

"Who's this?" I felt that same tug on my shirt that suggested someone was lifting me up again. I found myself face to face with the scary guy. Now that I'm in full view of his face, I remember exactly where I've seen him.

"Dark Warrior." I squealed. Of course, he wasn't orange but I'm pretty sure it was him.

"Drew?" Jade asked in surprise.

"Hey ninja girl. Nice to finally meet the ninjas you keep talkin' about." I said while the dark..former dark warrior put me down. Jade snorted.

"Che! I was talking about the shinobi tribe. My tribe are kunoichi. Ninja _girls_. Big difference." she said with a scowl. She obviously doesn't want me here.

"_Please_. They can't be girls if their chests are as flat as yours."

SMACK!

The next thing I know, I was on the ground. I felt like a bowling ball hit my face.

"JADE!"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who hit him."

"You have to admit Jackie. It was his fault. It's rude to talk about a girl's chest, especially in their presence." said the hot lady.

Yeah! Me and my big mouth. Then, everything turned black.


End file.
